Broadway is taking a stand on the Trayvon Martin case. The cast and company of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess hooded up in honor of the teen who was shot to death by a gun-toting volunteer watchman -- who has not been arrested and is still in possession of his...

African-American mayors from across the United States left their tight-knit communities, some with as few as 855 citizens, and traveled across the Atlantic Ocean for a historic dialogue in Dakar, Senegal. The 2011 World Summit of Mayors Leadership Conference was held just days before Christmas and also featured mayors and...

There's a spirited revolution unfolding in America -- but this time around, folks don't want to change the world as much as they demand to know their place in it. On the surface, genealogy may seem like an innocuous hobby, but in this age of smartphones and e-Readers, more and...

In the natural order of life, children outlive their parents. But when the order is reversed, parents can be caught between the bitterness of their loss and the sweet celebration of a life. Marly Cornell is firmly committed to the celebration. When her daughter Cody was born with the most...

As Donald Trump hammers away at President Obama over his college grades and birth certificate, one of the men who was vindicated in the infamous Central Park jogger rape case calls Trump a big phony who called for his execution before he even went to trial. Raymond Santana tells NY1...

The cover story of Time Magazine speaks volumes. It's a 19th century picture of Abraham Lincoln with a 21st century computer generated image of a tear streaming down his face. The headline: "Why We're Still Fighting The Civil War." It's a headline that really disturbs me after learning...

It's a fictional hospital packed with famous actors as patients - but people who are personally affected by VHL, Von Hippel-Lindau disease, say it's about time that the mass media starts paying attention to the rare disease that devastates families worldwide.

In a recent episode, Grey's Anatomy...

Conservatives can't get enough of Ron Paul and his purported revolution. For the second year in a row, he was the first choice in the Straw Poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The Texas Congressman -- who supports the abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Reserve...

As we enter Black History Month, let us pause to remember the sacrifice of African-American soldiers, past and present. The soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq should know that the veterans who paved the road for them went through hell and high water. During the colonial era black slaves...

In all of the debates and discussions about how the recession has ravaged Wall Street, few seem to be focused on entrepreneurs who have been soldiering on in the worst of times. These are the working-class folks who didn't get a golden parachute or a hefty severance package. Stay in...

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf is her signature work, but don't box Ntozake Shange into a corner. At 62, the fiery poet and playwright continues to wield her feminist sword of truth for generations of readers who have grown to love the Brooklyn...

Seventy percent of African American children are raised by a single mother. That's an alarming statistic; however, there's a powerful movement that's empowering single parents like never before to help make a dent in those numbers.

David Miller is the founder of Raising Him Alone. The activist and author...

On the surface, it appears no matter what the government does, the economy remains in a tailspin. The only people who seem to be saying, "We told you so" other than Republicans are astrologers. You can write them off as non-credible sources if you like, but many soothsayers insist they...

Upon learning that award-winning journalist Michele Norris wrote a book, I initially thought it was going to be a tome about her fabulous broadcasting career where she has knocked down barriers as the first black host of National Public Radio's evening news program "All Things Considered."

However, I was startled...

It's one thing to learn the name of a long lost ancestor, but it's quite another to hear them speak. A leading online genealogy website has made the seemingly impossible possible, by launching a collection of more than 1,700 recorded oral histories from immigrants who arrived in the United States...

"Which is better, Lincoln Center or Bryant Park?" That's the question many folks are asking backstage during New York's heralded fashion week. And there's no seamless answer. In many ways, Lincoln Center's sprawling renovated campus is superior. Just gliding up the iconic steps toward the landmark fountain makes you feel...

A 12-year-old girl was arrested for selling crack. Where's the outrage?

New Yorkers have spent much of this year displaying their fury over everything from the dismal economy to the proposed mosque and cultural center near the World Trade Center site. Some folks even took to the streets to protest...

My favorite scene in this summer's hit movie, Grown Ups was when star Adam Sandler ordered a bunch of video game and texting obsessed kids to go play outside. The limp-lidded lads took one look at the great outdoors, complete with a lake, and snarked, "What are we supposed to...

My brother Clarence has autism. He is 41, I am 43. Many years before the influential National Alliance on Mental Illness formed in 1979, and before Mental Health America launched its powerful online community this summer, it was left to sisters and brothers of those with disabilities to put up...

Thirty-five years ago this summer, dancer and choreographer George Faison was the king of Broadway. When he choreographed The Wiz back in 1975, Faison glided away with Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Choreography for the soulful adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. Today he lives inside a decommissioned...